Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University (CPJ) with the support of UN Women organised a five-day long training on facilitation skills on capacity development. The workshop took place from 01 to 05 November, 2021 at the Brac Learning Center, Madhupur, Tangail. 27 participants from CPJ and various organisations like Institute of Informatics and Development (IID), Bangladesh Youth Enterprise Advice & Helpcentre (B’Yeah), Nagorik Uddyog, Trust Centre Right and Advocate, Dhaka Judge Court joined this program along with the members of Women Peace Café, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Peace Café, University of Dhaka and Brac University attended the training.

Upon arriving at the venue on 31 October evening, there was a small introductory session where every participant introduced themselves to each other following an innovative method using discussions and cluster games by the Facilitator, Dr. Motahar Akand, Chairperson, Rights Centre Trust.

Shahariar Sadat, Director, Academic and Legal Empowerment, CPJ and Ms. Nilufa Sultana Sheta, Programme Coordinator, CPJ also briefly conducted the introductory session and discussed the overall goals and objectives of this training. The main session commenced from 01 November after the National Flag hoisting in the BLC compound. The Training Sessions covered Facilitation and its different aspects, the roles of a facilitator, session planning skills of a trainer/facilitator, skills of using participatory methods/ techniques, skills of making the sessions lively and well managed, board, body, boundary and dealing with difficult participants, etc. The facilitator Mr. Motahar used a range of different and innovative techniques and methods such as simulation, team works, etc. during the training programme.

Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director of CPJ visited the training programme and actively engaged in discussions with the participants. He expressed his delight at having the opportunity to have one-to-one conversations with each of the participants from various organisations including CPJ. He stressed on being rightly aspirant of leaving this country in the hand of this generation full of enthusiasm and vigor to bring about a positive change everywhere in the society.

At the end of the session the participants had to perform a mock facilitation session in groups of three on the selected topics which included Diversity, Plurality, Identity, Human Rights, Gender Concepts, Gendered Division of Labor, Gender-based Violence and the related Laws, High Court Directives on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Peace and Cohesion and Sphere of Peace. Each group tried to put their best efforts on the stage and showcase what they’d learnt throughout the training programme. Every mock session was scrutinised properly by Mr. Motahar, himself and Ms. Nilufa Sultana Sheta incorporated a number of the other participants in the judges’ panel and proper feedback from all were provided so that the teams could learn from their mistakes. After the completion of all the sessions a thorough review of the whole course was reviewed and evaluated by the facilitator engaging all the participants.

The last evening was adorned by a cultural event where the participants performed. Mr. Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director of CPJ, Ms. Shireen Hasan, Founder Executive Director, X- cell Education, Dr. Motahar Akand and Ms. Nilufa Sultana Sheta were present at the cultural event and highly praised the multidimensional talents of the participants. They congratulated them on the triumphant completion of this remarkable ToT programme and wished them good fortune in their future endeavor to become a successful Facilitator.